electric winch

[stehansen]

Does anyone have an electric winch on their truck, and if so do you get much use from it?

 

[priest]

they're handy

I've got a one ton bucket truck with a 9000 lb winch that I use for pulling over trees, getting unstuck in the mud, straightening up small trees leaning from hurricanes, and dragging felled trees out of lakes and up the bank. Recently I got my GMC C7500 bucket truck stuck in a mudhole and thought I was done for.
I went home and got the truck with the winch, pulled it up against the curb, raised the stuck side of the big truck up with the outrigger, packed 2 x 8's underneath the tires, and pulled it right out.
That day I swore to get one installed on every truck as I can afford to do so. They're handy.

 

[pistol pete]

The price of the winch will pay for itself the first year you own it, that is if you ever take your truck off the paved road. It is also safer than pulling trees over with a rope tied to the bumper. It might also save you from damaging grass ,if the backyard is downhill or wet. I got priets truck stuck going uphill through a sprinkler leak in the backyard, I hooked her up to a tree with carpet for padding and pulled her up the hill without spinning a tire. All the while loaded down with two 30 foot trees in a 25 foot steel trailer. Be sure and get one with a remote you can run from the cab or standing to the side.

 

[Tree Machine]

I've got one mounted off the back of the chipper, that's pretty handy. It's removable, able to be mounted on the back of the truck, and when I get around to creating the mount on the front, I'll be able to mount it on the front. Versatillity is nice. I use mine mostly for skidding fat tarploads of brush right up to the chipper mouth. Especially nice in the Winter on snow. The winch can give you a SERIOUS unfair advantage in a lot of situations.

Like Pete says, a remote control unit is worth the extra money. Mine is not remote, and I totally wish it was.

 

[Tree Machine]

Actually, I wish my winch were not a cable winch, but rather a capstan winch (rope winch) on remote. 6000lb removable electric capstan winch. That would satisfy any winch fantasy I could have.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Winches are a great asset. Their capacity should be at least the GVW.
About 50% of their use is in rescueing others out of the ditch.
They excel for commiting trees over away from their natural lean. My last 3/4 ton truck had a 12000# Warn.
The trick with the cable is to always spool with a taught cable and never allow backlash as the cable will spool loosely and kink/bind. Treat the cable like you would a fishing line. The mainline cable is best not used as device to wrap around things, but rather use a cable choker or chain to which the mainline attaches.
This prevents jaggers, kinks and abraded areas on the terminal end of the mainline.
Obviously a PTO driven winch is superior to electric, however a PTO winch is useless if the engine won't run, but an electric winch soon sucks the battery dead in any real technical situation even if the engine is running.
John

 

[clearance]

Gypo-you said it best, my girlfriends Blazer has a p.t.o. winch that makes electric winches look totally weak. But I think that for getting your truck out of the ditch or other emergency use, however, a big Tirfor is the way to go. They never overheat or run down your batteries. I pulled out a bobcat on tracks that was stuck balls deep in mud with mine, all it takes is effort. Plus it will pull from any angle from anything strong enough to hold it.

 

[2Coilinveins]

Hi-Lift Jack is handy to have, too.